24.03.17 Daily Current Affairs

Uniting for Consensus

• Uniting for Consensus (UfC) is a movement, nicknamed the Coffee Club, that developed in the 1990s in opposition to the possible expansion of permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council. Under the leadership of Italy, it aims to counter the bids for permanent seats proposed by G4 nations (Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan) and is calling for a consensus before any decision is reached on the form and size of the Security Council.
• Turkey is also a member of the Uniting for Consensus group of countries that oppose U.N. Security Council Memberships to be increased, another source of friction between the two countries, where India would like to see some flexibility.

(In the context of visit of Erdogan to India)

Human Development Report 2016

• India slipped down one place from 130 to 131 among the 188 countries ranked in terms of human development, says the 2016 Human Development Report (HDR) released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
• India’s human development index (HDI) value of 0.624 puts it in the “medium human development” category, alongside countries such as Congo, Namibia and Pakistan.
• It is ranked third among the SAARC countries, behind Sri Lanka (73) and the Maldives (105), both of which figure in the “high human development” category.
• India still has the lowest rank among the BRICS nations.

HE Projects on Indus and tributaries

• Miyar
• Lower Kalnai
• Pakal Dul
• Kishenganga
• Ratle

Amendment to RTE

• The Union Cabinet recently approved an amendment to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 which will consequently improve the learning outcomes of children.
• According to Section 23 of the RTE Act, teachers at elementary level who, at the commencement of this Act, did not possess the minimum qualifications as laid down under the RTE Act, need to acquire these within a period of five years i.e., 31st March, 2015. However, several State governments have reported that about a fifth of the teachers are yet to attain the minimum qualifications. In order to ensure that all teachers, in position as on 31st March, 2015, acquire the minimum qualifications prescribed by the academic authority, it is necessary to carry out appropriate amendment in the RTE Act, 2009 to extend the period for such training for four years up to 31st March, 2019.

Aari Work

• ‘Aari work’ technique, a sequined embroidery chain stitch rooted in the Kutch area of Gujarat.
• Emma Watson’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ outfits were hand embroidered in Bhuj using the above technique.
• Aari embroidery is practiced in various regions such as in Kashmir and Kutch (Gujarat).

Copra

• The Union Cabinet recently approved a hike in the Minimum Support Price of Copra.
• Copra is a coconut product. Coconut oil is extracted from it, and it is also consumed as a dry fruit.
• In India, coconut is cultivated mainly in the coastal tracts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh (these four account for about 90 per cent of the total production in India) Orissa, West Bengal, Pondicherry, and Maharashtra and in the islands of Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar. Of late, coconut cultivation has been introduced to suitable locations in non-traditional states including Assam, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Tripura, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh and in the hinterland regions of the coconut growing states.

Standards for Drinking Water

• Indian Standards has set standards for drinking water. However, this standard is only voluntary in nature and not legally supported for enforcement. This standard has two limits: Desirable limits & Maximum permissible or cause for rejection limits
• If any parameter exceeds the cause for rejection limit, that water is considered as contaminated. Broadly speaking, water is defined as contaminated if it is biologically contaminated (presence of microscopic organisms such as E. coli, zoo-plankton etc) or chemical contamination exceeds permissible limits (e.g. excess fluoride, salinity, etc).
• Whereas Arsenic contamination is concentrated in states drained by the Rivers Ganga, Brahmaputra and their tributaries, the same is not the case with Fluoride contamination of water.
• Rajasthan, Telangana, West Bengal, Karnataka and Bihar are some states affected badly by fluoride contamination.

National Water Quality Sub Mission on Arsenic and Fluoride

• Government on 22^nd March launched National Water Quality Sub Mission on Arsenic and Fluoride to provide safe drinking water to about 28,000 affected habitations in the country by March 2021 with an outlay of Rs 25,000 crore.
• West Bengal is badly affected by the problem of arsenic, Rajasthan suffers from presence of fluoride in drinking water with serious health hazards.
• Shri Tomar said that Government is committed to providing tap water on a sustained basis in every household by 2030 as per the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for which Rs 23,000 crore of central fund will be required annually till the target is achieved.